Given how much her sister had teased her tonight, Yukino had no intention of helping this time. After leaving the bathroom, she noticed that Haru was working out and decided not to disturb him. Instead, she went to dry her hair.
"You're really just going to leave me like this?"
Standing inside the bathroom, Haruno stared at the closed door, feeling both helpless and amused.
But she wasn't the least bit worried.
She knew her sister too well.
Even though Yukino had walked away so decisively, without the slightest hesitation, Haruno was certain that in a few minutes, she'd come back to help.
Leaning against the wall, Haruno let out a relaxed sigh. With the bathroom door closed and no one around, she had no reason to feel embarrassed about standing there completely bare.
The mirror in front of her was fogged up with steam, the glass so clouded that her reflection was barely visible.
Bored, she reached out and wiped away the condensation, revealing her flawless face and elegant figure.
"I remember last time, he was standing right there… and I was over here."
Drifting off into thought, Haruno recalled the moment she had unwittingly used the restroom in front of Haru without realizing he was there.
"Ugh… How annoying. He actually saw me."
She touched her warm cheeks. They were flushed—not entirely from embarrassment, but mostly from the lingering heat of the bath.
She still remembered how fast Haru had bolted out of the room the moment he noticed.
He even had the decency to close the door behind him.
But that didn't change the fact that he had seen everything.
With his sharp eyesight, he must have gotten a clear view.
"Great. After all these years of never letting a man take advantage of me, the first one to do so is… my sister's boyfriend."
Haruno muttered to herself, gazing into the mirror. She wasn't actually mad at Haru. If anything, she was more frustrated with herself for being so careless.
Logically speaking, no matter how close they were—no matter how many years they had known each other—there was no reason for her to let her guard down like that.
The only explanation was that she trusted him far too much.
"What a pain…"
She sighed, then frowned slightly as another thought popped into her head.
Just how much had he seen?
And more importantly… did he have any improper thoughts about it?
Several minutes passed.
The sound of a hairdryer finally stopped outside.
Haruno reached for the door handle, cracking it open just enough to call out, "Yukino, isn't it about time you brought me a bathrobe?"
In the living room, Yukino had just finished drying her hair when she heard her sister's voice.
She couldn't help but chuckle.
But before she could respond, Haru poked his head out of his room. "Haruno-san needs a bathrobe? Didn't I already give her a new one?"
Yukino's smile deepened. "She brought this upon herself. She just happened to drop it on the wet floor."
Haru blinked.
Judging by the pure amusement on Yukino's face, he instantly understood—whatever conversation had taken place between the sisters in the bath hadn't exactly been pleasant for her.
At least, she didn't seem to be in a forgiving mood.
"Not my problem, then," Haru shrugged. "You two can sort it out yourselves."
And with that, he sensibly disappeared back into his room.
But just as Haruno had predicted, Yukino wasn't as cold-hearted as she seemed.
A few minutes later, she appeared outside the bathroom with a fresh bathrobe in hand, even taking the time to point out where the hairdryer was.
"Thanks."
Haruno smiled as usual and accepted the bathrobe. Then, she casually brought up the previous topic again. "Let's sleep together tonight."
Yukino was at a loss for words.
She couldn't exactly argue, "I'd rather sleep with Haru."
She wasn't thick-skinned enough to say something like that.
10:00 PM
The Yukinoshita sisters were lounging in the living room, watching TV while petting the cat. After a while, Haruno started to wonder—why hadn't Haru come out yet?
She turned her head and glanced at her sister, only to find that Yukino looked completely calm, as if this was nothing unusual.
"What's he doing in there?" she finally asked.
Yukino replied with a question of her own. "Didn't you just check on him?"
"I know he's working out. What I mean is, how can he still be exercising? Even professional athletes don't train for this long."
"That's not necessarily true. From what I know, baseball players often practice for an entire afternoon. Some dedicated ones even stay overnight in the training rooms."
"Comparing Haru to extreme cases like that seems a bit unfair, don't you think?"
Yukino simply smiled.
She knew very well that her boyfriend's physical fitness had already caught up to that of professional athletes.
Not only had his appetite increased, but his training intensity had as well.
So, to her, this was nothing out of the ordinary.
Haruno sat in the living room for a while, but in the end, she couldn't hold back her curiosity. She got up and walked toward his room.
Yukino paid her no mind, continuing to pet the cat peacefully.
When Haruno reached the doorway, she saw Haru inside, jumping rope with a steady rhythm. Nearby, his water bottle had turned noticeably less, indicating that he had already drained it.
"Need me to get you some water?" she asked, leaning against the doorframe. Beneath her bathrobe, her fair legs crossed elegantly, looking even more delicate under the warm lighting.
"No need. I'm almost done," Haru replied, controlling his breathing.
Haruno observed his energetic movements and couldn't help but let her thoughts drift. "You've been working out this entire time, haven't you?"
"Yeah."
"Then why don't you look tired at all?"
"Early to bed, early to rise, jog every day—so even The King of Hell praised me for my good health."
"I don't understand Chinese!"
"It just means that with consistent training, your body naturally gets stronger."
Haru spoke as if it were the simplest thing in the world.
Haruno's eyes filled with surprise. "So this is how you've been living all this time?"
"Not always. I didn't train this hard before. I've been increasing my workload gradually—it's all part of a plan. Pushing yourself too hard only leads to injury," Haru explained honestly.
Haruno continued watching him jump rope, then suddenly lowered her voice. "With a body like yours… I wonder if Yukino can… you know, handle it?"
Haru's movements faltered. His expression turned strange. "Are you sure you want to have this conversation with me?"
"What? I'm your elder. Am I not allowed to care about my sister and her boyfriend?" she retorted, deliberately putting on an authoritative air.
But Haru wasn't falling for it. "Speaking of which, I remember one particular night when you were at home…"
"Alright! Let's change the subject!"
For once, Haruno's usual confidence cracked. But in the blink of an eye, she composed herself again.
Of course, she knew exactly what he was referring to.
That night—when she had deliberately created an opportunity for him and Yukino to have some alone time—only for them to stay up late playing video games instead, keeping her awake half the night.
Her cheeks flushed slightly. She still remembered how, the next morning, the first thing she did was rush home to change clothes.
Including her underwear.
As an adult—a single woman who knew plenty about these things—she was all too aware of what that heated restlessness in her heart had meant.
And now, as she watched him train in front of her, maintaining perfect form despite the high intensity, she couldn't help but notice the beads of sweat rolling down his skin, the sound of his deep, steady breathing, and the familiar sense of security he exuded.
A sudden wave of dizziness hit her.
"Even the strongest women, in moments of vulnerability and loneliness, crave a well-timed compliment or just the right amount of concern."
His words from earlier echoed in her mind.
She had to admit—she really had been touched.
And when she sensed his kindness, his soft-hearted nature toward her, she had genuinely felt… happy.
It wasn't love.
It was just the simple joy of being truly cared for.
Suddenly, she said, "Yukino and I will be sleeping in the guest room tonight."
Haru gave her a puzzled look. "Wasn't that obvious? I figured as much when I was tidying up the room earlier."
Haruno's lips curled into a playful yet mischievous smile. "Want me to create an opportunity for you?"
Haru hesitated for a moment before shaking his head decisively. "Better not."
"Why not? Your dear big sister is offering to help, and you're turning me down?"
"Yukino is shy. If you actually try something like that, she'll be pissed."
Haruno sighed dramatically. "Ugh, good point. Looks like I can't be of any help after all."
Haruno let out a dramatic sigh.
Haru frowned slightly. "Haruno-san, you're acting a little different today."
She smiled, radiant as ever. "I'm just happy, that's all."
"Really?"
"Really."
The light in her eyes was sincere, unguarded.
Seeing his doubtful expression, she chuckled and continued, "In the past, I only thought, it's good to be alive. Even better if there's no pain, no suffering. As for who I'd spend my future with... that always felt like something too far away to think about."
Haru played along. "And now?"
Haruno's smile deepened. "Now, I think… it's nice to have someone who cares."
"I think so too," Haru replied with a soft chuckle.
For once, she had let down her guard, revealing a side of herself that she usually kept hidden.
It meant that, at this moment, she felt truly comfortable, truly at ease.
That was a good thing.
Compared to the Haruno who always wore a mask, who never let people see how exhausted she really was, the one standing before him now was much more… endearing.
Haru slowed to a stop, putting his jump rope away. "Anything you feel like eating tonight? I can cook."
Haruno narrowed her eyes playfully. "What's this? Trying to fatten me up? Your cooking is so good, if I start eating, I might not be able to stop."
Haru rolled his eyes. "Yukino will be eating too. Why would I be targeting you specifically?"
"Then I won't hold back."
"Order whatever you want, as long as we have the ingredients."
Haruno returned to the living room and flopped down beside her sister with a grin. "Haru is being sneaky—he's treating me to a late-night snack."
Yukino turned her head calmly. "Just you?"
Haruno blinked innocently, lips pursed in a fake pout.
Yukino remained composed. "He cooks at night sometimes. He calls it 'fueling up for training,' though I find that logic rather stupid."
Haruno sighed dramatically. "Geez, here I thought he was giving me special treatment. Turns out, this is just your normal routine."
Yukino saw through her act and didn't bother responding.
Haru's cooking was light and portioned carefully, ensuring that neither sister ate too much before bed.
And as the warm meal settled in their stomachs, the post-meal drowsiness—the so-called "sage time"—hit the sisters at full force.
Since it was already late, Yukino didn't ask Haru to help her study like last time.
Instead, after resting for a bit, the two sisters—nudged by Haru's reminder—reluctantly made their way to the guest room and collapsed onto the bed.
"I think I'm getting addicted to his cooking," Haruno mumbled as she lay there. "If I can't eat it when I go home, I might actually feel depressed."
Yukino heard her but simply shut her eyes, enjoying the moment of relaxation without a word.
Meanwhile, outside the guest room…
Haru took advantage of the "sage time" to get in more training—finally leveling up his [Jumping] skill to level 9.
[Your (Jumping) skill has reached max level and has evolved into (Flight).]
Haru stood there, stunned for a solid two seconds.
Flight?
Did this mean he could not only punch through buildings but also take off into the sky like a human missile?
With the sisters already asleep, he decided to test it out.
He started with the classic wuxia move—stepping on his own foot.
Then, under the wide-eyed gaze of the orange cat, he took one step, then another—right into thin air.
Slowly, steadily, he ascended.
He didn't stop until his head bumped against the ceiling.
Haru looked down. His entire body was floating.
It wasn't like normal jumping anymore—his feet felt as if they were pressing against invisible stairs, allowing him to walk freely in midair.
Next, he experimented with running, jumping, flipping, and gliding.
Everything felt effortless.
Rather than true [Flight], it was more like an ultra-upgraded version of wuxia-style lightness skill.
"I can literally stand above the world now," he muttered, rubbing his chin.
"Meow?"
The orange cat trotted over, sniffing him all over with a baffled expression.
Clearly, its tiny cat brain had just short-circuited from what it had witnessed.
Haru picked the cat up and ruffled its fur. "I've gotten stronger again. Think I should go on a little nighttime adventure?"
"Meow?"
The cat stared blankly, its tiny processor still overheating.
Haru smirked and pulled on his long-unused hoodie and mask combo.
Time for a test run.
If he didn't put his new power to use, he'd feel like he was wasting potential.
Of course, he had no intention of exposing himself.
Using his [Auto-Aim] ability, Haru expertly avoided all surveillance cameras, ensuring that his nighttime activities remained unnoticed.
Even if someone did manage to catch a glimpse of his shadow, all it took was a burst of speed, and he would vanish from their sight.
Tonight, the city was unusually peaceful.
He made a point to visit an old hunting ground—Kabukicho, a notorious hotspot for gang activity.
Surprisingly, there was nothing out of the ordinary.
In fact, there were even more police officers patrolling the area.
Haru paused, piecing things together.
This is probably my doing…
The legend of Hooded Hero had spread far and wide.
The mere possibility of encountering him had these lowlifes too scared to cause trouble.
On his way back, Haru spotted two tattooed gangsters being stopped by a pair of patrolling officers.
To his amusement, the thugs were practically model citizens now, eager to cooperate.
"Officer, we've been on our best behavior lately, I swear!" one of them pleaded. "I'm an honest guy—I never lie!"
But just as he finished speaking, his gaze shifted upward—where he caught sight of Haru casually walking across the sky.
His eyes widened in sheer disbelief, and his hands trembled as he pointed over the officer's shoulder.
"O-Officer! L-Look behind you! The Hooded Hero—he's flying!"
The policeman frowned and turned around.
But by then, Haru was long gone.
The officer's expression darkened.
"You never lie, huh?"